DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Supporters of a U.S. permanent resident detained for a year in Iran over spying allegations say he's been sentenced to 10 years in prison and given a $4.2-million fine.
The sentence for Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese citizen who advocates for Internet freedom, comes ahead of Iranian officials attending the United Nations General Assembly this week in New York.
A statement early Tuesday from Jason Poblete, a U.S. lawyer representing Zakka, said a Revolutionary Court in Tehran handed down the sentence in a 60-page verdict that Zakka's supporters have yet to see.
There was no mention of Zakka's sentence in Iranian state media. Iran's U.N. mission did not respond to a request for comment.
The Associated Press reported in May that Zakka's Washington-based nonprofit organization received grants totaling $730,000 from the U.S. government.
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